Identification device.



No. 846.586. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

G.D.ILUKENS. IDENTIFICATION DEVIGB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1906.

Fig.1.

WITNESSES: A 1 IIVVENTOR C. ID. Lukens CLARENCE 'D. LUKEN S, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed February 26. 1906. Serial No. 303.035.

To QLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE DEwITT LUKENs, a citizen of the United States, residingat the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Identification Device, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a device by means of which catgut or similar substances preserved in tincture of iodin and inclosed in sealed or imperforate glass tubes may be identified as to size or other attributes.

Heretofore it has been customarv to etch upon the outside of the tube containing the gut and its preserving fluid a number or other character to indicate its size or other data concerning it; but as these tubes are commonly boiled immediately before the gut is used in order to render their exteriors aseptie it has been found that when they are wet immediately after boiling or during the boil ing process it is difficultand often impossible to read the numbers etched upon them begause of the moisture which covers the tn. e. I

In the drawing herewith, in which like characters of reference indicate similar parts in the different views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tube embodying one form of my invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

3 is a transparent glass tube having a diamond cut 4 to determine the point of fracture when it is desired to remove the contents. The lower part of this tube is filled with tincture of iodin to a point marked 5, and in this tincture is immersed the gut 6, which extends substantially entirely across the bore of the tube. The up er part of the tube contains a iece of cardboard or other suitable materia 7, in which an identification-number 8 is impressed, preferably by perforating the number in the cardboard. By thus perforating the identification-number in the cardboard it is insured that the number will not be affected by the iodin, and at the same time the use of printers ink or other marking material which might contain germs is avoided.

In preparing the device the gut 6, tube 3,

and cardboard 7, in whichlatter the identification-number has first been punched, are rendered aseptic in any usual manner, usually by boiling the gut in oil and subjecting the other parts to steam. The gut, tincture of iodin, and cardboard 7 are then introduced into the tube and the tube sealed.

It has been found that tincture of iodin presents many advantages for the preservation of catgut in an aseptic, soft, and pliable condition but it is difficult to attach a lasting and conveniently-read identification device to the tube in which the gut is contained. The disadvantages of an external device of this kind have already been pointed out. During the boiling of the tube before using the gut such device is apt to become detached or obliterated. At the same time it has been found difficult to place an identification device in the tube because of the effect of the tincture of iodin upon it, the mark soon becoming obliterated under the action of the tincture. By my device, however, I am enabled to cheaply, plainly, and permanently mark each tube with identification characters of any desired nature to indi cate the size of the gut, the time it was prepared, &c. The identification device 7 be ing of a width nearly the same as the interior diameter of the tube 3 and being almost constantly kept moist by contact with the fluid in the tube, it will under ordinary circumstances be maintained in the position shown in the drawing by adhesion to the inner surface of the tube at the ed es of the identification device. It will be evldent that the identification device will be obstructed from passing into the other end of the tube by the presence of the gut 6,which extends substantially across the bore of the tube at the opposite end. A 3

It will of course be understood that when it is desired to use the gut the tube, after being first placed in boiling water,- is fractured at the point 4 and the gut withdrawn from the solution for use. Owing to the position of the gut 6 at one end of the tube and of the cardboard 7 at the other end of the tube, when the tube is fractured at the point 4 the cardboard 7 will not interfere with the withdrawal of the gut 6. It is evident that if the identification device 7 were made of paper or other similar material having the identification character 8 printed thereon the staining action of the tincture of iodin would soon so color the paper or other similar material that it would be substantially the same color as the identification character, making the latter difiicult to read; but by perforating the identification character in the identification device 7 this difficulty is avoided, for by holding the inclosing tube up between the operator and the light the identification charactplr may be easily, certainly, and quickly rea Having fully described my invention, what 7 I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with an imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein, a staining fluid preservative for said body also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said body, and an identification device also sealed in said receptacle and in contact withsaid fluid, said identification device having an identification character for said body perforated therein.

2. The combination with an imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein, a liquid containing iodin for preserving said body and also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said body, and an identification device having an identification character for said body perforated therein and also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said liquid.

3. The combination with an imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein, a liquid containing iodin sealed in and partly filling said receptacle and in contact with said body for preserving said body, and an identification device for said body also sealed in said receptacle and accessible to said liquid, said identification device having an identification character for said body perforated therein.

4. The combination with an elongated, imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein and occupying one end thereof, a preservative for said body also sealed in said receptacle, and an identification device having an identification char acter for said body also sealed in said receptacle at the other end thereof, said identification character being unaffected bysaidpreservative, said tube having a fracture-point intermediate its ends.

5. The combination with an elongated transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein and occupying one end thereof, a preservative for said body also sealed in said receptacle and partially filling the remaining space therein, and an identification device having an identification character for said body also sealed in said receptacle at the other end thereof, said identification character being unaffected by said preservative, said tube being provided with a fracture-point intermediate said body and said identification device.

6. The combination with an imperforate transparent receptacle provided with a fracture-point, of a body to be preserved sealed in said receptacle, a preservative for said body also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said body, and an identification device having an identification character for said body and also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said preservative, said identification character being unaffected by said preservative.

7. The combination with an elongated imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein and occupying one end thereof, a staining preservative fluid for said body also sealed in and partially filling said receptacle and in contact with said body, and an identification device having an identification character for said body perforated therein, said identification device occupying the other end of said receptacle and being accessible to said liquid.

8. The combination with an imperforate transparent receptacle, of a body to be preserved sealed therein, a fluid preservative for said body also sealed in said receptacle and in contact with said body, and an identification device also sealed in said receptacle and affected by said fluid preservative, said identification device having an identification character unaffected by said fluid preservative.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and afiixed my seal in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

o. D. LUKENS. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

W. A. ALEXANDER, BENNETTE PIKE. 

